Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who famously portrayed Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network, has made it clear: he wants nothing to do with the Meta CEO anymore.
Eisenberg voiced his concerns in a recent interview with the BBC. The actor criticised Zuckerberg’s recent decisions regarding content moderation on Facebook and Instagram.
Eisenberg’s comments come in response to Meta’s decision to discontinue using independent fact-checkers on its platforms, according to Buzz Feed.
Instead, Meta is shifting to a “community notes” system, similar to that used by X (formerly Twitter). This is where users can comment on the accuracy of posts.
Zuckerberg has defended this move by saying that third-party moderators were “too politically biased”. He claims it’s time to return to the “foundational principles of free expression”.
JESSE EISENBERG’S CRITIQUE OF BILLIONAIRES
However, Eisenberg isn’t buying it. “This individual is… engaging in actions that are troubling, undermining fact-checking,” he told BBC News.
He added that there are “concerns regarding safety, increasing risks for those who are already vulnerable in society”.
Eisenberg didn’t hold back when discussing the immense wealth of tech moguls like Zuckerberg.
“These people have billions upon billions of dollars, like more money than any human person has ever amassed, and what are they doing with it?” he questioned. “Oh, they’re doing it to curry favour with somebody who’s preaching hate”.
FEAR FOR SAFETY
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Eisenberg stated he hasn’t been following Zuckerberg’s “life trajectory.
This was partly because I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that”.
He added: “It’s not like I played a great golfer or something and now people think I’m a great golfer. It’s like this guy that’s doing problematic things.
Eisenberg clarified that his views aren’t just those of an actor who played Zuckerberg on screen, according to Deadline.
He says he’s also concerned because he believes his wife, who teaches disability justice in New York and lives for her students, will have a harder time this year.
META’S CHANGES
Meta’s changes coincide with Zuckerberg and other tech leaders seeking to improve relations with former US President Donald Trump.
Trump and his Republican allies have criticised Meta’s fact-checking policy, claiming it censors right-wing voices.
Following the announcement of the changes, Trump said Zuckerberg’s decision impressed him, and that Meta had “come a long way”
JESSE EISENBERG’S SCREENPLAY
Trump finalised a legal settlement that will see Meta pay out roughly $25 million.. In South African currency, that’s approximately R 465 million.
Eisenberg is currently promoting A Real Pain, a film he wrote, directed, and stars in.
The film is a comedy-drama about two cousins who travel to Poland to visit Holocaust sites in honour of their late grandmother.
Eisenberg’s screenplay has received an Oscar nomination, as has his co-star, Kieran Culkin.
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